Category Archives: Sauces and Frostings

There were a few snow flurries in the air when I drove to the airport this morning, but it’s fully summer in Austin so I’m slightly in climate shock. May is the Juneau month of Bozeman’s year: often overcast, windy, and with varying seasons of precipitation. It’s a test of patience waiting for the skies to clear and the trails to dry, but on the plus side, we can always count on actual summer to find us in June, unlike my hometown.

In anticipation of barbecues and picnic lunches, here’s a nice simple hummus recipe for your repertoire. Last week’s lemon and garlic version is perfect for spring, but for a slightly milder experience today’s recipe is a delicious option.

Crisp cucumber brings a refreshing lightness to the dip while maintain a fairly neutral flavor profile. Basil is my favorite herb to pair with cucumber, and it’s a great way to use up fresh herbs from the store or your garden, especially when you don’t quite have enough for pesto. No basil? Thyme or dill would be excellent here as well depending on the other items around the table.

This hummus is light and creamy, with pleasant flecks of green. Lovely as a standard dip, of course, but also a perfect addition to a wrap or sandwich for a packable lunch. A batch keeps several days in the fridge so make some for appetizers and use up the leftovers for lunches and snacks. It’s perfect as the spread for a dairy-free cucumber sandwich/wrap, paired with your favorite toppings and protein. Vegan? Add spinach and zucchini and some extra chickpeas. Vegetarian? Maybe include some egg or parmesan. Pescatarian? Include smoked salmon too. Omnivorous? Chicken or turkey is the perfect lean protein to use here. Wrap them all in bread or a tortilla rounded with a drizzle of Sweet Basil Balsamic Vinegar from Olivelle and you have a phenomenal lunch at your fingertips.

Whether you go for the simple snack or build up a wrap, this hummus is sure to please. Give it a whirl and let me know how you put it to use!

Springtime means lemon in my brain, so when I saw this spiral tart from Bunsen Burner Bakery I knew I wanted to incorporate that flavor. A lemon hummus seemed the perfect accompaniment to a series of veggies and I set out to test this hypothesis.

The bright flavor of lemon is complimented by a generous amount of garlic. I opted to use my hefty supply Olivelle products but you can use standard varieties if needed. The turmeric lifts the yellow coloring up a notch which isn’t necessary for the tart but it’s beautiful for a party platter. You’ll have plenty of leftover hummus to enjoy on its own, and it provides a lovely creamy base for this tart without any additional sogginess.

My trusty no-fail pie crust recipe is the base for this delicious dish. Since I don’t have a tart pan (something I should probably rectify, pronto) I used a standard 9″ pie plate, which works just fine. I love this pie crust recipe because it never gets over browned, but you can easily substitute your own go-to pastry here if you wish.

The flaky pastry and crisp lemon flavor of the hummus blend beautifully into a base for all your veggies of choice. I chose zucchini, carrot, summer squash, and eggplant, but feel free to use whatever you have laying around the kitchen that you can slice with a mandolin. You’ll want veggies thin enough to bend, but no thinner. On my mandolin I used the thinnest setting for the carrot and the next one up for the rest of the vegetables, but definitely do a test slice to see what makes sense for yours.

Concentric rings of vegetable goodness are pleasing to the eye and the tongue. Finished with a bit of rosemary (or your favorite herb) for a spark of flavor and a pretty garnish, this tart is a prefect addition to your next brunch. This tart is inherently vegan (presuming you use a vegan pie crust) but for the rest of us a sprinkle of goat cheese is the perfect topping for each piece. To round out the meal, I enjoyed mine with a side of eggs and fruit.

This tart would be sure to please at a Mother’s Day brunch, or to brighten any regular day too. If you have any leftovers, they are excellent cold or reheated in the oven, so be sure to enjoy every last bite!

Make ahead: add all hummus ingredients to a food processor, starting with half the lemon juice, and process until smooth. Taste and add additional lemon juice (for flavor) or oil (for consistency) as needed. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Gently lay pastry in a 9″ pie plate or tart pan. Trim and crimp the edges, as desired. Refrigerate pastry for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prick pastry generously all over with a fork (or use pie weights if you prefer) and bake for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool while you prepare the veggies.

Use a mandolin to thinly slice all the veggies. (On mine I used setting 2 for the squash and eggplant, and setting 1 for the carrots.) Add all the slices to a large bowl and use your hands to gently toss in olive oil. Don’t add too much oil because the eggplant likes to soak it all up!

Retrieve the pastry and spread 1/2 cup of hummus evenly along the bottom.

Starting from the outside, layer the strips of veggies in whatever order you like; I opted for a repeating pattern of concentric circles but it’s totally up to you.

Spray with olive oil (or lightly brush it on) and sprinkle with rosemary or herb of choice.

Bake for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender and starting to crisp, and crust is a golden brown. If necessary (it wasn’t for me) you can cover the crust edges with foil if they are browning too quickly.

Serve warm, optionally topped with goat cheese. Goes great with a side of eggs and fruit!

Store leftovers in the fridge. I suspect it’d last about 3 days but I can’t confirm because we ate it all before then. Enjoy chilled or reheat in the [toaster] oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.

With spring having officially grace us with its presence, we are often flipping between snow, rain, and sun (sometimes all in the same day.) I don’t know about you all, but I am ready for salad season. I do eat salads all year round but there’s something about summer that makes me crave it as an entree rather than just a side, and I get a lot more creative with my toppings when I’m not sautéing them all just for the warmth.

A few weeks ago I topped a sweet potato with tuna salad and a new era was born. If you’re not normallya tuna salad fan don’t leave yet! This chipotle-lime crema might just change your mind. Inspired by the chipotle ranch from one of my favorite salads at a local lunch spot, I make mine with plain Greek yogurt for a bit of tang. I love this crema for salads, tacos, eggs, and for dipping quesadillas and I hope you do too.

Tangy yogurt, spicy chipotle peppers, and lime juice are a perfect blend of tart and spicy. A bit of salt rounds it out nicely, and adding garlic is rarely a poor decision. It’s easy to adjust the spice level with makes it great for any tolerance, and you could definitely add cilantro if you’re in to that sort of thing. Not a fan of Greek yogurt? Swap it out for sour cream or mayo as you prefer.

M’s uncle is an avid fisherman and we read the benefits with pints of home-canned wild-caught Albacore. I’ve always been a tuna fan but this truly takes it to a whole new level. But don’t worry, the canned stuff works just fine here too. Mixing it with the chipotle crema adds a lovely spiciness while maintaining the creamier texture. It’s great for sandwiches, patty melts, wraps, or however you normally eat your tuna salad (let me know in the comments!) but my favorite way is definitely atop a sweet potato.

The sweetness of the baked potato blends perfectly with the spicy crema. Sautéed bell peppers and red onion brings some color and amps up the South-of-the-border vibe, and a pile of lightly-dressed arugula beneath the whole thing gives it a filling veggie boost. (If arugula isn’t your thing, spinach or kale also work nicely.) Top the whole thing with an extra drizzle of crema, some matchstick-cut radishes, and freshly ground pepper for a light and tasty meal-prep-friendly lunch or dinner.

For leftovers, I heated my sweet potato and tuna for a warming experience, but it’s delicious cold too. You can also easily satiate bigger eaters with bigger potatoes and/or by scaling up the tuna salad portions, and roasting all the potatoes ahead of time means the whole thing can come together right quick. Whether you choose to serve it for lunch or dinner, this tuna salad will be a delicious new twist on a classic.

We’ve officially entered spring here in Montana, with sunny skies and temperatures in the 40s. I’m confident (and hopeful) we will still get a few snowstorms but I am also happy about clear roads and only needing light layers for bike commuting. While we wait for the inevitable heat to arrive, there is still time to enjoy a few more soup recipes.

With a bag of lentils in the pantry begging to be used up, and a hankering for the flavors of curry, this entree fit the bill perfectly. A light sweetness from the carrots is brightened in both color and flavor by the magic of turmeric, and a little heat from ginger and red pepper flakes rounds out every mouthful. Pureed soups can be a bit odd in texture, but the creaminess of the coconut milk balances it nicely. It is perfect topped with a scoop of rice and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, and gave my crafting buddies and an excuse to try making homemade naan. (Verdict: yum)

I doubled this recipe and put it in the slow cooker to avoid standing over the stove, but it comes together in less than 30 minutes in a pot. Leftovers are great and surprisingly versatile. You can continue on the bowl of soup method, of course, but it’s also excellent treated more as a sauce on a giant pile of rice (M’s preference), or for a Buddha bowl if you’re looking to amp up the produce and lighten the meal a bit.

As is, this recipe is completely vegan, but if you’re interested in a omnivorous protein boost, thinly sliced steak or chicken is a delicious addition. (M opted to grill it with a bit of curry powder, which turned out excellent.) For the vegetarian folks, it also pairs nicely with a fried or soft-boiled egg, and works just as well for breakfast in this fashion as it does dinner. Lastly, if you end up with just a bit left, whisk it with a little olive oil and use it as a fun salad dressing.

This recipe is quick and easy and, with the exception of fresh ginger, comprised entirely of ingredients we nearly always have on hand. Surprisingly filling and flavorful, I’m planning to add it to the repertoire all year long.

Throughout college it seemed every event boasted free pizza, and by the time I graduated I was approximately 110% over it. To this day, I have pizza through work often enough that I rarely crave it on my own and when I do, I want it to be very non-traditional. We are fortunate enough to have a number of excellent pizza places offering some truly different varieties, and luckily one of those is a place that can seat 16 people for lunch with almost no notice.

My favorite pizza there, to date, is a lamb sausage and fig concoction that does my favorite sweet and savory situation without being overwhelming on either one. I’ve yet to recreate this largely because I want it to remain special enough to order out, and also because fig jam is not high on my list of things to try. Last summer they suddenly switched their menu, removing my go-to and forcing me into trying something new. (I know, woe is me.) Fortunately, however, one of their summer options inspired a new favorite combo.

Beet and walnut pesto lends a lovely color and a unique flavor in lieu of a traditional red sauce, and truly brings it up to the next level. I topped mine with additional beets (because why not), thinly sliced sausage, and toasted walnuts. Goat cheese and spinach make a perfect garnish to round out the flavors and add a pop of color to the finished meal.

Homemade pesto is shockingly easy and now that I have my own food processor (thanks, parents!) I will surely be making more of it this summer. This particular recipe is a wonderful fall or winter version, and a perfect accompaniment to unique sandwiches, quesadillas, and of course, pizzas. The beet flavor is not overly strong, with may appeal better to the more skeptical folks in the audience, but for the beet loves it means you get to top it with even more beets. Win-win for everyone.

I used a blood orange olive oil from Olivelle for my pesto, but you can substitute a standard one if needed. Considering adding just a smidge of extra lemon juice or orange extract to pump up the citrus level a little bit, but it’ll still be delicious (and pretty!)

I enjoyed the savory aspect of the sausage added here, but for a vegetarian option you could use salted nuts instead. Goat cheese adds a nice tang while the mozzarella offers the gooey cheesy experience we all know and love. Altogether, it’s a sweet and savory combination that is truly different than your average pizza.

Add all pesto ingredients to a food processor and blend until all ingredients are combined. Adjust consistency with additional oil if desired.

For the pizzas, spread crust evenly with pesto and top with half the mozzarella.

Arrange beets, sausage, and toasted walnuts on the pizza, then top with remaining mozzarella.

Bake as directed, minus about five minutes, or until crust is beginning to crisp and the mozzarella is melty.

Sprinkle pizzas with goat cheese and rosemary, and arrange a few leaves of spinach across the top.

Bake an additional 5 minutes or until goat cheese is warmed through and spinach is lightly wilted.

Serve hot with freshly ground pepper and a glass of wine.

Notes

1 If you’re short on time or hate dyeing everything pink, there is no shame in using the pre-cooked variety! Our Costco carries them in packages of ~5 which is just perfect for a batch of pesto and a couple of pizzas.